Workers begin laying rails for the expected railway line connecting Beijing and Hebei province's Xiongan New Area. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING - China's infrastructure investment rose 4.2 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of 2019, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The growth rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the January-July period, NBS data showed.

In breakdown, investment in ecological protection and environmental treatment increased by 42.2 percent year-on-year, 7.3 percentage points higher than the same period last year.

Investment in road transportation and railway transportation went up 7.7 percent and 11 percent year-on-year, respectively, said the NBS.

During the same period, investment in the social sector, including education, culture, sports and entertainment, increased by 13.8 percent from a year ago.